Whitman shuts out B-CC in football

Morton rushed for 121 yards; Vikings score after Barons' turnovers

Walt Whitman High School senior running back Zac Morton carries the ball during Saturday's football game against Bethesda-Chevy Chase in Bethesda.

Midway through the third quarter of his team's game against Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School on Saturday, Walt Whitman coach Jim Kuhn could be heard screaming following yet another penalty call on the Vikings' offense.

While penalties did slow Whitman a little, turnovers stopped the Barons cold.

Senior running back Zac Morton rushed for 121 yards and Whitman scored 18 points following B-CC miscues as they rolled to a 24-0 win on a rainy afternoon at Whitman in Bethesda.

Evan Smith threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Anton Casey and Zach Snyder added three field goals for the Vikings (2-1), who overcame 10 offensive penalties.

“We shot ourselves in the foot. We can't do that against teams that could take advantage of it more,” Kuhn said.

“But we played well. We executed our game plan, both offensively and defensively. Came up with two huge turnovers on special teams. Got nine points out of field goals, and that's big.”

B-CC (1-2), which lost two fumbles and two interceptions, got 118 yards on 17 carries from Nana Yaw Amankwah Ayeh.

“We tried to establish our game early,” Bethesda-Chevy Chase coach Josh Singer said, “and had a few mistakes and they were able to capitalize on those mistakes and got ahead. Unfortunately we're a team that once you're behind, it makes it difficult for us to catch up.”

The Barons first turnover came midway through the opening quarter when they faced third and 12 at midfield. Quarterback Jack Hanifee's pass was intercepted by free safety Nabril Ibrahim, who returned it to the 9-yard line.

A penalty nullified a run inside the five by Morton, but on third and goal from the 14, Smith found Casey crossing the back of the end zone for the touchdown.

Bethesda-Chevy Chase couldn't generate offense and the Vikings added a pair of field goals for a 13-0 halftime lead.

“Defensively I felt like we game-planned well,” Kuhn said. “They're an option team and we really worked hard against the option. We practiced most of the week without a ball just to make sure all our responsibilities were taken care of.”

Whitman took the second half kickoff and marched into B-CC territory before 10- and 15-yard penalties left them with a third and 24. The next play was a fumble.

The Barons then put together their best drive of the day, but turned it over on downs at the Vikings' 26.

“We weren't making the reads we usually make,” Singer said. “We weren't getting the blocks we usually make, and they did a very nice job of stopping our running back and stopping our running game and put us in situations that we struggled to convert.”

Whitman was forced to punt, but B-CC's Keen McUmber didn't field the kick cleanly and the Vikings recovered.

On the first play Evans faked the end around to Nick Newsham (four carries for 55 yards) and gave it to Morton, who went up the middle, cut left and scampered down the sideline for a 29-yard touchdown.

“We were creating some mismatches, some seams for Zach,” Kuhn said. “He's got great feet, quick feet. He's going to make that first guy miss. You get him to the second level, he's hard to handle.”

The two-point conversion made it 21-0 with 1:40 left in the third quarter.